For example, if I get a message from my Rolling Stones app then I’ll almost definitely open it up and see what Mick wants to tell me.

Similarly if I get a notification that H&M has a sale on then I’ll probably see what’s up for grabs.

Data from Urban Airship shows that push messages increase both engagement and retention by as much as 40% and 116% respectively (though it’s worth noting that the company makes money by selling its mobile marketing services).

Similarly, data gathered by Localytics from 28,000 apps found that users who enable push notifications have a nearly 3x higher retention rate compared to those who disable them.

Push notifications have the potential to be a powerful tool for mobile marketers as they allow businesses to target app users with timely, relevant news and offers.

A new Mobile Maturity Report from Urban Airship indicates that they are a widely used marketing tactic, with more than half of companies with apps reporting that they use push notifications to engage their audience.

With the exception of finance companies, 70% to 80% of companies with apps use push regularly.

However from personal experience I’ve found that very few companies make use of push messages. My phone is loaded with various apps from all the reviews I’ve written over the past few years, yet only one or two have ever sent me notifications.

I’ve previously blogged about Debenhams’ clever use of push messages, which were timed to coincide with seasonal sales or events such as Valentine’s Day or payday. These messages were enough to make me click through to the Debenhams app, even though it’s not really the sort of retailer I tend to buy from.

Here I'll look at the push messages I've received from Walmart, Asda and The Rolling Stones. And for more information on mobile marketing, download Econsultancy's Mobile Commerce Compendium.